Neither my professional role nor my limited knowledge of UMass politics qualifies me to say whether he should stay or go. So much more is involved with running a university than football.

What I can say is that according to reliable campus sources, Holub, more than athletic director John McCutcheon or any other single individual, was the biggest driving force for UMass to enter the FBS.

The upgrade is filled with difficult decisions, no matter who is in charge. If the chancellor's role is about to be filled by a player to be named later, the outcome of an expensive and risky undertaking will become even more unpredictable.

Even if Holub stays, his wings might be clipped to where decisions will have to be done more by committee and consensus.

My guess is that this would bring the academic community, some of whose members think the emphasis at UMass should be on areas other than football, into the mix to a greater degree.

Holub's future is uncertain because he is under fire mostly for a management style that left too many key people out of the loop on too many issues.

Still, in university politics as in sports, never say never. Maybe the chancellor has a winning two-minute drill up his sleeve.

Holub's case for FBS football is that a great university should strive for the best levels in all it pursues, whether it be history, physics or football.

For all the debate over whether a college should stand for higher learning or better bowl bids, there is sound logic to this. Some of the greatest football schools in America are also some of its greatest learning centers.

How UMass executes this endeavor is the question facing it now. I've been told the FBS decision could conceivably be reversed, but that nobody expects this to happen, whether a new chancellor comes to Amherst or not.

Holub's passion for the upgrade suggests he would take an active role in the transition. This is his baby, so to speak, and he would want to see it work.

But what if Holub is out? At a school that needs so much attention in so many new areas, would the new chancellor be qualified or even willing to actively support a fledgling program that will need support from the top and funding for everything from coaching salaries to stadium upgrades?

No one knows the answer to any of these questions.

These are not solely the chancellor's decisions. Any number of administrative layers are involved and affected.